Mississippi State University

About: Mississippi State University is a education organization based out in Starkville, Mississippi, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catfish. The organization has 14115 authors who have published 28594 publications receiving 700030 citations. The organization is also known as: The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science & Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science.

Effects of invasive macrophytes on freshwater fish and macroinvertebrate communities: the role of invasive plant traits

Abstract: Biological invasions of aquatic plants (i.e., macrophytes) are a worldwide phenomenon, and within the last 15 years researchers have started to focus on the influence of these species on aquatic communities and ecosystem dynamics. We reviewed current literature to identify how invasive macrophyte species impact fishes and macroinvertebrates, explore how these mechanisms deviate (or not) from the accepted model of plant–fish interactions, and assess how traits that enable macrophytes to invade are linked to effects on fish and macroinvertebrate communities. We found that in certain instances, invasive macrophytes increased habitat complexity, hypoxia, allelopathic chemicals, facilitation of other exotic species, and inferior food quality leading to a decrease in abundance of native fish and macroinvertebrate species. However, mechanisms underlying invasive macrophyte impacts on fish and macroinvertebrate communities (i.e., biomass production, photosynthesis, decomposition, and substrate stabilization) were not fundamentally different than those of native macrophytes. We identified three invasive traits largely responsible for negative effects on fish and macroinvertebrate communities: increased growth rate, allelopathic chemical production, and phenotypic plasticity allowing for greater adaptation to environmental conditions than native species. We suggest that information on invasive macrophytes (including invasive traits) along with environmental data could be used to create models to better predict impacts of macrophyte invasion. However, effects of invasive macrophytes on trophic dynamics are less well-known and more research is essential to define system level processes.

Uncertainties of optical parameters and their propagations in an analytical ocean color inversion algorithm.

Abstract: Following the theory of error propagation, we developed analytical functions to illustrate and evaluate the uncertainties of inherent optical properties (IOPs) derived by the quasi-analytical algorithm (QAA). In particular, we evaluated the effects of uncertainties of these optical parameters on the inverted IOPs: the absorption coefficient at the reference wavelength, the extrapolation of particle backscattering coefficient, and the spectral ratios of absorption coefficients of phytoplankton and detritus/gelbstoff, respectively. With a systematically simulated data set (46,200 points), we found that the relative uncertainty of QAA-derived total absorption coefficients in the blue-green wavelengths is generally within ±10% for oceanic waters. The results of this study not only establish theoretical bases to evaluate and understand the effects of the various variables on IOPs derived from remote-sensing reflectance, but also lay the groundwork to analytically estimate uncertainties of these IOPs for each pixel. These are required and important steps for the generation of quality maps of IOP products derived from satellite ocean color remote sensing.

Assessment of global industrial-age anthropogenic arsenic contamination

Abstract: Arsenic, a carcinogenic trace element, threat- ens not only the health of millions of humans and other living organisms, but also global sustainability. We present here, for the first time, the global industrial-age cumulative anthropogenic arsenic production and its potential accumulation and risks in the environment. In 2000, the world cumulative industrial-age anthropogenic arsenic production was 4.53 million tonnes. The world- wide coal and petroleum industries accounted for 46% of global annual gross arsenic production, and their overall contribution to industrial-age gross arsenic production was 27% in 2000. Global industrial-age anthropogenic As sources (as As cumulative production) follow the order: As mining production >As generated from coal >As generated from petroleum. The potential industrial-age anthropogenic arsenic input in world arable surface in 2000 was 2.18 mg arsenic kg �1 , which is 1.2 times that in the lithosphere. The development of substitute materials for arsenic applications in the agricultural and forestry industries and controls of arsenic emissions from the coal industry may be possible strategies to significantly decrease arsenic pollution sources and dissipation rates into the environment.

Aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of commercial corn (Zea mays) hybrids in Mississippi.

Abstract: Resistance to mycotoxin contamination was compared in field samples harvested from 45 commercial corn (maize) hybrids and 5 single-cross aflatoxin-resistant germplasm lines in years with high and moderate heat stress. In high heat stress, mycotoxin levels were (4.34 +/- 0.32) x 10(3) microg/kg [(0.95-10.5 x 10(3) microg/kg] aflatoxins and 11.2 +/- 1.2 mg/kg (0-35 mg/kg) fumonisins in commercial hybrids and 370 +/- 88 microg/kg (140-609 microg/kg) aflatoxins and 4.0 +/- 1.3 mg/kg (1.7-7.8 mg/kg) fumonisins in aflatoxin-resistant germplasm lines. Deoxynivalenol was detected (one-fourth of the samples, 0-1.5 mg/kg), but not zearalenone. In moderate heat stress, mycotoxin levels were 6.2 +/- 1.6 microg/kg (0-30.4 microg/kg) aflatoxins and 2.5 +/- 0.2 mg/kg (0.5-4.8 mg/kg) fumonisins in commercial hybrids and 1.6 +/- 0.7 microg/kg (0-7 microg/kg) aflatoxins and 1.2 +/- 0.2 mg/kg (0.5-3.0 mg/kg) fumonisins in aflatoxin-resistant germplasm lines. The results are consistent with heat stress playing an important role in the susceptibility of corn to both aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination, with significant reductions of both aflatoxins and fumonisins in aflatoxin-resistant germplasm lines.

The Racial Divide in Support for the Death Penalty: Does White Racism Matter?

Abstract: Using data from the 2000 National Election Study, this research investigates the sources of the racial divide in support for capital punishment with a specific focus on white racism. After delineating a measure of white racism, we explore whether it can account for why a majority of African Americans oppose the death penalty while most whites support it. The results indicate that one-third of the racial divide in support for the death penalty can be attributed to the influence of our measure of white racism. The analyses also revealed that when other factors are controlled, support for capital punishment among nonracist whites is similar to that of African Americans. We examine the implications of these findings for using public opinion to justify the death penalty.